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Bachelor's in Esports Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Find your place in an exploding industry. Be a part of the future of gaming.

As Esports communities and industries mature, they require specially trained individuals. UND prepares students to become coaches, media producers, entrepreneurs, translators, graphic designers, IT professionals and much more.

Program type:
Major
Format:
On Campus or Online
Est. time to complete:
4 years
Credit hours:
120
  • Requirements
  • Tuition & Aid
  • How to Apply

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Why earn an Esports degree?

Application Deadlines
Fall:
Aug. 15
Spring:
Dec. 15
Summer:
May 1

 

If you're an international student, refer to the international application process for deadlines.


An Esports degree will give you the foundation to step into the gaming industry in a variety of ways. UND's Esports bachelor's degree program will set you on the path to success in the Esports field of your choosing.

  • Apply your strategic insights and interpersonal skills to coach esports in a variety of settings from youth scholastic leagues upward.
  • Focus your love of esports media production on by acquiring skills and experience with social media management and/or streaming video production.
  • Extend the trade wisdom of sports business to esports and start your entrepreneurial venture in the esports industry.
  • Pair your knowledge of esports with your love of world languages and cultures to coach, write, and/or produce media in multiple languages.
  • Design original art and graphics for use in the digital media of esports.
  • Master the infrastructure of esports needed for events management as a professional in esports IT.

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Customize your Esports Degree Program

UND's Esports degree is innovative, challenging and at the cutting edge of new developments in academic programming across the country. In fact, it's the first degree of its kind in North Dakota.

This unique degree gives you the flexibility to specialize in one of six areas, allowing you to customize your area of study as you prepare for a career in the Esports industry. Specialization tracks include:

  • Esports coaching
  • Esports communications
  • Esports business
  • Esports translation
  • Esports graphic design
  • Esports IT

To complete one or more of the above areas of specialization, you will complete a complementary minor or certificate such as Sports Communication or Sports Business or minors such as Coaching or Norwegian. UND also offers an undergraduate Esports Certificate program.

College with Esports Teams

Studying at UND will provide you with opportunities to learn and/or compete across multiple levels in the Esports space.

If you want to compete at a higher level, look into our varsity Esports program, which fields rosters across multiple titles and competes regionally and nationally. The state-of-the art competitive facilities include a practice room, classroom, competitive space, nutrition station, dry locker room for storing competitors’ peripherals and lounge where students can unwind. Digital competitions open up new forms of sport to players with a broad range of abilities.

Or if casual gaming is more your speed, the Esports Nexus Lounge is a space located at the Wellness Center designed to provide recreational Esports gaming for students. It puts on recreational tournaments in which students can play for fun with fellow esports fans.

 

Esports Bachelor's Degree at UND

  • Intern and work with Esports athletes, coaches and managers.

  • Get jobs around the world! The gaming is expected to reach $340 billion by 2027.

  • Work in an industry resilient to shutdowns and economic downturns. 

  • The Esports degree program is housed in the Kinesiology department, but draws on a variety of departments to create an all-inclusive approach.

  • Raise your grades by getting free academic support at UND. We offer individual tutoring sessions, along with specialized writing and math support programs.

  • Choose your path of study to specialize in the area of the esports industry that most appeals to you.

What can you do with an Esports degree?

49k

Average starting salary, 6 months after graduating from UND

UND Career Services

1Billion

Anticipated Esports market revenue by 2024

Statista

Esports is an immense industry, with more than 500 million people playing esports worldwide and another 200 million who watch Esports. While the core viewership group is made up primarily of young adults ages 24 and under, the growth of the industry within education, professional competitions, organizations, broadcasting, media and more is creating demand for individuals trained in these fields.

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UND graduates can expect exciting opportunities with professions like:

  • Livestreaming
  • Coaching
  • Graphic design
  • Translation
  • Entrepreneurship
  • IT
  • Social media management

Average starting salaries for Esports professionals range from $40,000 to $60,000, with tremendous opportunity for growth.

Esports Degree Courses You Can Take

ESPT 129. Esports I. 1 Credit.

Instruction in various esports for beginning players. Repeatable to 4.00 credits. F,S,SS.

ESPT 340. Esports and Healthy Gaming. 3 Credits.

This course provides an overview of contemporary esports focusing on physical and mental health, including using sport psychology techniques for behavior change. Special topics related to online citizenship behaviors, addiction, and women in gaming are also covered. F, odd years.

COMM 346. Sports Communication. 3 Credits.

Introduces students to sports communication through an examination of athletics-related aspects of public relations, journalism, digital communication, organizational, and professional/executive communication. A significant component of the course focuses on aligning digital Communication technologies towards sports including digital imaging at games, sports writing, researching and reporting, web layout and presentation, public speaking/press releases etc. F.

COMM 350. Sports Journalism. 3 Credits.

Students will explore the full range of sports journalism, analyzing how sports reporters operate across the platforms of print, broadcast, online and social media. Students will learn sports/game-story writing, interview/press conference techniques, sports-business reportage, data-driven sports journalism, effective use of social media, and opinion/column writing. Students will examine and create a wide range of sports journalism, including but not limited to features, beat coverage, long-form storytelling, game coverage and in-depth sports packages using text, images, video, and interactivity. Students also will analyze the history, contemporary issues, and ethics of sports journalism. F.

SPRT 310. Economics of Sports. 3 Credits.

Application of micro and macro economic theory to the analysis of sports markets. S, even years.

SPRT 320. Sports Financial Management. 3 Credits.

Application of financial theories to the sports industry. Addresses how sports entities such as professional sports franchises, professional sports leagues, university athletic departments and government-funded programs operate from a financial standpoint. S, odd years.

Online Esports Degree

#1

best online college in North Dakota

Forbes

160+

online programs

In UND's fully online Esports degree, you'll never need to come to campus for class. You'll take a mix of asynchronous and synchronous classes. Some areas of specilaization in the Esports degree, suchas IT and graphic design, are currently offered in-person only, as are come intership opportunities.

With asynchronous classes, you do not attend class at a set time. If you need to balance work, family and other commitments, this flexible format allows you to learn anywhere at any time.

Depending on your instructor, you’ll learn online through:

  • Lesson modules
  • Streaming video content
  • Virtual libraries
  • Posted lectures
  • Online simulations

There will be times when you interact with your instructor and classmates through online discussion boards, polls and chat rooms.

Your learning revolves around materials that can be accessed on your own time within a set time frame. However, this is not a self-paced course. You’ll have structure and deadlines.

Synchronous classes are held in real-time. If you’re the kind of learner who likes active discussion and immediate feedback through live interaction, you’ll enjoy this online course format.

Every class is different, but generally, you’ll log into a virtual classroom at scheduled times to:

  • Listen to a lecture
  • Ask questions
  • Participate in class discussions
  • Conduct group activities
  • Participate in video-sharing
  • Have chat conversations
  • Use interactive whiteboards
  • Take live polls

You should prepare for your classes by finishing any assigned readings, compiling questions for your instructor and thinking about how to contribute to the next live class.

Leading Esports Degree Online

Over a third of UND's student population is exclusively online; plus, more take a combination of online and on-campus classes. You can feel reassured knowing you won't be alone in your online learning journey, and you'll have resources and services tailored to your needs.

No matter how you customize your online experience, you’ll get the same top-quality education as any other on campus student.

  • Same degree: All online programs are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Your transcript and diploma are exactly the same as our on-campus students.
  • Same classes: You’ll take courses from UND professors, start and end the semesters at the same time and take the same classes as a student on campus.
  • Real interaction: You can ask questions, get feedback and regularly connect with your professors, peers and professionals in the field.
  • Your own academic advisor: As an invaluable go-to, they’re focused on you, your personal success and your future career.
  • Free online tutoring: We're here to help you one-on-one at no cost. Plus, get access to a variety of self-help online study resources.
  • Unlimited academic coaching: Need support to achieve your academic goals or feeling stumped by a tough course? We'll help with everything from stress and time management to improving your memory to achieve higher test scores.
  • Full online access: Dig into virtual research at UND's libraries. Improve your writing skills with online help from the UND Writing Center. Get online access to career services, veteran and military services, financial services and more.
  • 24/7 technical support: UND provides free computer, email and other technical support for all online students.
  • Networking opportunities: Our significant online student population means you’ll have a large pool of peers to connect with. UND has numerous online events and activities to keep you connected.

Best Online College

Our high alumni salaries and job placement rates, with affordable online tuition rates make UND a best-value university for online education. UND's breadth of online programs rivals all other nonprofit universities in the Upper Midwest making UND one of the best online schools in the region.

UND ranks among the best online colleges in the nation for:

  • Affordability
  • Student satisfaction (retention rate)
  • Academic quality (4-year graduate rate)
  • Student outcomes (20-year return on investment per Payscale.com)

 

FAQs

Earning an Esports degree from the University of North Dakota opens a wide array of dynamic career paths. Graduates can explore roles such as esports coach, streaming media producer, social media manager, graphic designer, translator, and IT. Opportunities also extend to entrepreneurship and administration within the multifaceted nature of the Esports industry.

Absolutely. UND's Esports degree program is designed to be completed within a four-year timeframe, offering a comprehensive curriculum for timely graduation. This is true for both online and on campus students.

Yes, UND offers an Esports degree that can be taken entirely online, providing the flexibility for students to complete their coursework without the need to attend on-campus classes. On campus students can, of course, opt for either modality at their convenience. 

Aside from what you would need in any degree program today (an internet connection and a personal device), the degree will not necessarily require you to acquire much in terms of sophisticated equipment. Our ESPT 129/139/159 classes require students to be able to play specific esports titles such as Smash Bros. Ultimate (which requires access to a Switch with an online account) or Rocket League (which requires access to a modern console or a PC with suitable specs). That said, esports titles are made to run on budget specs and don’t require state-of-the-art rigs. Some on-campus internships will provide students access to equipment such as production hardware, but students will not need to procure this equipment for themselves.

Yes, the University of North Dakota provides dedicated technological resources for on-campus Esports students. These include a state-of-the-art Esports space for training and competition and the Esports Nexus Lounge at the Wellness Center for recreational gaming, both equipped with modern gaming technology.

Yes, the UND Esports program provides internship opportunities that enable students to gain valuable experience working with esports businesses, coaches, and organizations in real-world settings.

Not at all. The Esports degree at UND goes well beyond playing video games: it positions students for an ecosystem of jobs in the industry such as coaching, streaming, graphic design, translating, networking, and entrepreneurship. Students may be interested in the degree because they love to play and compete, but what they get out of it is career preparation for this growing industry.

College Esports at UND

At the University of North Dakota, esposrt education is more than just learning how to play-its about building skills to lead, creat and thrive in a blooming global industry.

 

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